The present invention relates to a steering wheel with an external shell made of carbon fibers and the method of manufacturing the same.
Steering wheels for automobiles are presently made of an internal metallic core covered by resin and of an external coating and finishing shell, made of various materials, which represents the appearing part of the steering wheel.
Among the several known processes for manufacturing motor car steering wheels is the process comprising providing for formation of two half-shells by hot pressing of one or more material sheet inside molds of suitable shape, subsequent mechanical flattening working of the junction line of the two half-shells, application of the half-shells on a steering wheel body formed by a metallic core covered by resin and mutual fixing of the two half-shells along said junction line.
Fixing of the two half-shells represents a particularly delicate step of the manufacturing process, especially in case of half-shells of small thickness as those made of carbon fibers.
An object of the present invention is to provide a process of the above said type, which is particularly suitable for manufacturing steering wheels with a shell of carbon fibers.
According to the invention this object is obtained by a process comprising preparation of piles of sheet materials, hot molding thereof for obtaining respective half-shells with a shape corresponding to that of respective halves of the steering wheel being manufactured, mechanical flattening of the front surfaces of the two half-shells, mounting of the two half-shells above and under a steering wheel body formed by a metallic core covered by resin, characterized in that said steering wheel body is previously provided with lateral profiles adapted for acting as fixing supports for the two half-shells.
Fixing of the half-shells is preferably obtained by gluing of the internal surface of the half-shells on the external surface of the lateral profiles, suitably complementarily shaped.
It has been possible to verify that in this way a very strong structural assembling is obtained which is able to resist all the aging and safety test required by the automobile manufacturers.